“This is my fault, I’m sorry.”
Katherine stood, picking up her shirt from the floor. “It’s my fault too, I shouldn’t have come over.”
She quickly dressed and walked toward the door. Scott closed the distance between them. He looked down as if he intended to speak, but what could he say? He was in a relationship with Verna, and what had happened shouldn’t have. Katherine looked up, waiting, for what she wasn’t sure. And then she left.
***
Katherine returned to her apartment and was grateful to be allowed back in. She sat on her couch, hardly believing what she’d been doing only minutes earlier. She could still feel Scott’s lips on hers, still feel his touch. The memories both prolonged her arousal and made her miserable.
She didn’t feel especially guilty, since she and Michael still hadn’t slept together. Then again, she thought she owed Michael some loyalty even though she wasn’t completely confident of his. Scott’s desire had been unmistakable, as was hers for him. She wondered what he was thinking. She told Amy what had happened.
“Oh brother,” said Amy, “I wish you two would just fuck and get it over with.”
Chapter Fifty-Three
Thursday morning, Scott was sitting at his desk sorting through all the insurance policies that had come in, when his cell phone rang.
“Hey Scott, it’s Michael.”
Scott straightened up, alert, half expecting Michael to say angry words. That somehow he knew what happened between him and Katherine. “Hey Michael, what’s up?”
“I had such a great time when we all got together, I was hoping I could pin you down for another night out?”
Scott was hesitant. He was afraid his or Katherine’s face might betray what they’d done. “I don’t know, Michael, I’m really busy these days, been working some overtime. I don’t have a lot of free time. I doubt we’ll all be free at the same time, anytime soon.”
“Aw, come on. Let’s all get together Friday.”
“Tomorrow? So soon?”
“Sure, why not?”
Scott didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t think of a good excuse not to get together.
He sighed, thinking, shit. “Okay, I’ll call Verna. Text or call me with the time and place.”
Michael sounded happy and excited. “Alright, this is great. I’ll take care of everything. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, bye.”
Scott thought that if Katherine felt half as guilty as he did, maybe she’d be the one to convince Michael that another date wasn’t possible right now. He thought wrong.
***
Thursday night, Michael flopped down on Katherine’s couch. She wondered when the couch would finally fall apart. Michael was no little guy, but sometimes he behaved like a big kid.
“I called Scott today. I really like that guy,” he said.
Katherine was washing some dishes and didn’t look up. “Oh?” she said, trying to sound casual.
“I called to ask him when we’d all be getting together again.”
Katherine was suddenly anxious. “So soon?”
“Sure, why not?”
She wasn't ready to see Scott yet. “And what did he say?”
“He said we could do get together tomorrow night.” He left out how hard it had been to get Scott to agree. “How does that sound?”
Katherine figured that if Scott could see her without discomfort, she could see him just as easily. She resolved to behave as if she hadn’t given Tuesday night another thought. She hoped he’d buy it.
She dried her hands and walked into the living room. “I can hardly wait.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
Friday evening Scott and Verna arrived first. Michael had chosen a much more elegant restaurant this time, and he’d called Scott that afternoon to describe it so that he and Verna wouldn’t come underdressed. It was a formal dinner club with tables that circled a beautiful hardwood dance floor. There was even a full band, with all the musicians dressed in tuxedos.
Katherine gave Michael an affectionate hug as they walked in. “This is really nice,” she whispered.
Scott’s eyes narrowed when he saw Katherine whispering in Michael’s ear. His eyes traveled over her body. She wore a yellow silk dress that clung in all the right places, and her long hair flowed around her bare shoulders. Scott forced himself to think of anything but how beautiful she looked in that dress and how much he’d like to take it off her. He wasn’t sure how he’d get through dinner without being completely transparent, but knew he had to. Nothing in the world would make him hurt Verna, not on purpose anyway.
While Michael seemed unaware of the tension between Scott and Katherine, it wasn’t lost on Verna. She gave Katherine a murderous look.
Just as they’d done during their first double date, Verna and Michael chatted like old friends, while Scott and Katherine remained silent. If they’d worried that their dates might be jealous before, now they worried that their dates might be psychic. Surely the remorse on Scott’s face and the embarrassment on Katherine’s was obvious to the world.
Katherine kept her hands in her lap, the easier to discreetly wipe them on her dress. She couldn’t do anything about the flush on her cheeks; she hadn’t even bothered with rouge that evening.
Katherine declined Michael’s request for a dance, and with her permission, he stood and held out his hand to Verna. After he gallantly led her to the dance floor, Katherine and Scott sat in silence, looking anywhere but at each other. Michael danced Verna toward their table.
“Come on, you two, join us,” he said.
Scott reluctantly looked at Katherine. He stood and held his hand toward her. “Shall we?”
How could Katherine, with Michael and Verna watching, say no? She stood and allowed herself to be led to the dance floor. She’d forgotten how tall Scott was. He placed his left hand on her waist and took her hand with his right. She had trouble breathing normally.
“I’ve noticed how happy you and Michael seem.”
Katherine thought she heard something in his voice she didn’t like. Is he mocking me?
“And I’ve noticed how quickly you jump when Verna calls.”
As he held Katherine close, Scott’s anger was fueled by his desire. The music’s beat picked up, its deep bass reverberating through their locked bodies as they twirled around the floor faster and faster. When the music finally stopped, Katherine was flushed and breathless. They held each other’s gaze until she pulled away and walked back to the table.
While Verna fumed, Michael was amused. He thought the world of Katherine, but as a friend. He was weary of pretending he felt anything more and planned to confess to her soon. He wasn’t worried about hurting her. He knew that her heart had never belonged to him.
Michael seemed the only one who wanted to socialize, going out of his way to think of subjects of interest to everyone. “You need to go mountain-bike riding with me,” he said to Scott. “It’s nothing like city riding.” He knew they had biking in common. They talked about different types of bikes, different trails, and the pros and cons of different brands of footwear.
“So, Katherine,” said Verna, “Scott tells me you had a disturbing experience last Tuesday?”
Katherine’s eyes widened. Scott looked down at his drink.
“Oh, the carbon monoxide leak. Yes, my neighbor. Apparently the pilot light in her stove was out.”
“Doesn’t your apartment complex have a detector or something?” asked Verna.
“Yes, there’s one in each unit, but one of her batteries had worked itself loose.”
“How come your detector didn’t go off?” asked Verna.
“I don’t know. Maybe the levels weren’t high enough. Guess I was lucky.”
“Well,” said Verna, “let’s hope your luck doesn’t run out.”
Verna seemed determined that Katherine remember the chat they’d had in the bathroom during their last double date. She caressed Scott’s arm and laid her head on h
is shoulder. When she kissed his cheek Katherine abruptly stood. She hadn’t given it a thought, but she’d had enough. Right or wrong, she couldn’t take this anymore.
“I’m sorry Michael, I need to go.”
Michael quickly stood, looking concerned. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling ill?”
Katherine looked at Verna, who was smiling, then at Scott, who was not. Tears threatened but Katherine refused to cry in front of Verna. “Yes, I’m sick.”
Michael looked down at Scott and Verna, saying, “Hey, sorry guys. We’re gonna have to cut this short.”
He took two twenty-dollar bills from his wallet and set them down in front of Scott.
“Let me know if I owe you anything.”
“No, don’t worry about it,” answered Scott.
Michael quickly drove Katherine home. “Do you want me to come up? Maybe stay with you until your sister comes home?”
Katherine shook her head no. “Thanks, but no.” She turned and went inside, barely making it to her apartment door before bursting into tears.
***
Saturday morning, Katherine lay in bed thinking about the night before. She hated that she’d let Verna get to her. But Verna was right, she did need to back off. She considered telling Scott how she felt, just laying it all out and hoping that he felt the same way. But the fear of rejection and more embarrassment held her back. She sat up in bed, impulsively grabbing her cell phone and dialing his number, but he didn’t answer. She left him a message: “Hi Scott, it’s me, Katherine. Listen, it’s not that I don’t want to be friends anymore, but don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for a while. You know, I’m busy with Michael, you’re busy with Verna. Bye.”
Katherine looked sadly at the phone, wondering if she’d done the right thing.
Later that morning, Michael stopped by her apartment. He had gone to the gym, but the showers were broken.
“I thought I’d stop by, see how you’re feeling. And, if you don’t mind, could I just take a quick shower here?”
She was on the couch when Michael walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Water sparkled on his muscular chest.
Maybe Michael can erase the memory of Scott’s kisses from my mind.
She walked over and opened her robe, naked underneath. She wrapped the robe around him, then reached down toward his towel, but his hand caught hers.
“I don’t think I have time. I have some things to do,” he said softly.
Katherine took a step back. “Oh my God, Michael! You’re killing me here. What’s the problem? Don’t you find me attractive? Aren’t I sexy? I hold my naked body against your naked body and your response is you don’t have time?”
“Let’s talk about this later. I’ll stop by.” He grabbed his gym bag and went into the bathroom to get dressed. A few minutes later, he kissed Katherine’s cheek and left.
She was frustrated, bewildered, and insulted. Was there something inherently unattractive about her? She went into her bathroom and looked in the mirror. She’d always thought of herself as attractive, maybe not drop-dead gorgeous but surely good looking enough to attract a man.
“Maybe I’ll take a trip,” she said to her reflection. “Amy and I can finish getting the house packed, get it sold, and with my share I’ll just get on a plane and go somewhere, anywhere. As long as it’s far away from here.”
She began to tidy up her bathroom, and when she reached down to grab Michael’s used towel, she noticed he’d forgotten his gym bag. She set it on her sink and, being naturally nosy, looked through it. Sweaty pants and a tank top were her punishment for looking; finding a woman’s silk panties was her reward. “Aha.”
The find didn’t surprise her, not much anyway. There were only two possible explanations: either Michael was a cross-dresser, which would explain why her lipstick and a pair of her panties had come up missing, or he was cheating on her and the panties belonged to the other woman. Which might explain why they hadn’t had sex yet. Katherine held up the panties—they didn’t belong to her. Judging from the size, Michael liked his women plus-sized.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Michael parked his car two blocks from the Eldorado casino. He probably could have found a closer spot, but the weather was nice and he felt like walking. He passed an old man, covered from head to toe with dirt and sitting on the ground. He knew the man was probably begging for money to buy drugs or alcohol, but he dropped a handful of change into his cup anyway.
Michael entered the casino through a back entrance, one reserved for the entertainment staff. The huge room, usually filled to maximum capacity, was empty. Men and woman in various elaborate costumes, some dancing, some not, filled the stage. He walked to a set of stairs leading to the stage and waited patiently for the routine to end. As one of the women approached him, he looked with appreciation at the beautiful red and blue sequined dress she wore. She took off her feathered head-dress.
“Hello, Michael.”
“Hello, Jolie.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you around here,” she said, studying her long red fingernails. “Slumming?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“I’m busy, too, Michael. Did you stop by for a reason?”
“What’s wrong with wanting to visit an old friend? I miss you.”
“I bet you do. I bet you miss more than my company. Run along, Michael. Oh, and if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like my panties back.”
She turned and walked back up on stage. He watched her put her headdress back on.
How had things gotten so complicated?
As he walked back to his car, Michael thought about his family, mostly his mother. They’d always had a close, open relationship. He’d told her nothing but flattering things about Jolie and she’d wanted to meet her. Michael hesitated, but he couldn’t put off the encounter forever. He suggested dinner out. Everything was going great until both his mother and Jolie excused themselves to go to the restroom. His mother had very nearly followed him into the men’s room.
She’d asked Michael to make an effort to find a nice girl to settle down with. If anyone other than his mother had made that request, he would have told them to jump in a lake. This wasn’t the Dark Ages, and he would live his life how he chose. But for her he’d made the effort.
He’d started dating Katherine, trying to have a relationship his mother would approve of, but it wasn’t going to work. Katherine deserved more than he was willing to give, and he didn’t want to live without Jolie in his life anymore.
He began to feel better now that he’d made his choice.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Detective Nolan pulled up in front of the condo owned by Detective Spencer, who ran from his front door holding a briefcase over his head to shield himself from the heavy rain. He yanked the car door open and threw himself in. Nolan lifted the coffee and doughnuts from the passenger seat just in time. The warm quiet car was a relief from the chill and the loud rain.
“This sucks,” said Spencer. “I’m supposed to be off today. I hate driving in rain and I hate getting wet. Call me vain, but I’d rather not go to work looking like a drowned rat.”
“Save it, Rick. I’m no more thrilled than you are to be out in this crap.”
“Sorry. I want this case to be over with already. We going to the same place as yesterday?”
Detective Nolan looked over his shoulder and pulled into traffic before answering. “Yes.”
“What? No plain doughnuts? Crap, you know I’m watching my weight. Sitting in this car all day is not doing my ass any favors.”
Nolan tended to ignore Spencer’s constant bitching. He was used to it. “Hey, it could be worse. How bad is this anyway? Nice warm car, doughnuts.”
“Yeah, well, it would have been better if you’d bought plain doughnuts and remembered my Splenda.” Finally choosing a chocolate glazed, he said, with a full mouth, “I think we’re wasting our time.”
“It’s true the ti
p didn’t give us a lot to go on,” said Nolan. “Just that he was somehow involved with the Churchill murder, but a tip’s a tip.”
“Do you really think whoever killed that woman would come after Ms. O’Brian?”
“Of course. If anything, she’s in more danger now.”
“It’s kind of wrong, don’t you think? I mean, we’re pretty much using her as bait.”
Nolan turned down a residential street into an upscale neighborhood. “I guess, but that’s not my call.”
He parked discreetly down the block from their suspect’s home. They’d been doing this every day for two weeks. So far, nothing unusual had happened, and even Nolan was secretly beginning to wonder if they hadn’t been fed a false tip. The suspect had no criminal record, and appeared to be a well-respected member of the community.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Tuesday, Scott sat at his desk listening to the two messages on his cell phone - the one Katherine had left him, and another regarding a job offer in Los Angeles. They’d called the day before. He’d called them back and asked for some time to consider the offer, although the timing seemed right; after all, he just gotten the brush-off from Katherine. He had until Friday to decide. He’d still be in insurance, but a different type. After going through hundreds of life insurance policies, he was very open to a change. He knew that whatever his decision was, he and Verna would soon part ways. As he listened to Katherine’s message, he knew that he and Verna had never really had a chance. By the time they’d met, Katherine already owned his heart. He just hadn’t wanted to admit it.
Before he made a decision about the job, he’d tell Katherine. If she asked him to stay, he would. If not, well, better the pain of missing her than the pain of seeing her with someone else.
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